Tagged: Dish

A ham-fisted decision by CBS to force its tech news network CNET not to review devices that are part of active litigation looked bad when it emerged late last week. Now a new report from CNET competitor The Verge shows that the damage by CBS runs even deeper.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the Hopper was not simply an entrant in the Best of CES awards for the site: it actually was chosen as the winner of the “Best of Show” award (as voted by CNET’s editorial staff).

When CBS corporate found out, The Verge says, orders were sent to the edit staff to revote. They attribute it directly to the office of CBS CEO Leslie Moonves, the same CBS exec who acquired CNET in 2008 for $1.8 billion and championed its value.

Moonves is also fiercely opposed to anything that strikes at the economics of CBS and the company is among those suing Dish over the family of ad-skipping DVRs that CNET’s editorial review staff finds so appealing. Whoever thought it would look bad in court if CNET gave the newest Hopper the CES seal of approval as “Best in Show” had no clue how bad trying to stop it would look. In the immortal words of Julia Roberts, “Big mistake. Huge.”

Fallout starts

The way CBS interceded in CNET editorial accomplished something other news orgs have been unable to do: convince veteran CNET reporter Greg Sandoval, who I know has been recruited often, to leave.

Hello all. Sad to report that I’ve resigned from CNET. I no longer have confidence that CBS is committed to editorial independence.

This specific event doesn’t reflect badly on any of the reporters at CNET. But now that CBS execs have shown how willing they are to reach in and twist CNET editorial, Greg is right to realize that anything and everything can start to seem suspect. That doesn’t mean I think less of the reporters and editors who stay but I understand why he feels the need to go.

Unfortunately, it’s true — and yes, it is a mistake. It may be legally pragmatic to avoid giving the opposition in a lawsuit homemade ammunition but the CBS corporate decision to ban reviews of products it is in litigation over may do more lasting damage.

CBS and other programmers concerned by the potential economic impact of the “record anything, watch everywhere with easy ad skipping” technology used in the Dish Hopper are suing over the device and the concept. That’s going on at the corporate level. At CNET, litigation like that is a running news story, the kind you try to be objective about and post with the right disclosures to make sure your readers get the news and info they need.

CNET, which has a near-impeccable reputation for independent reviews, reviewed the device and liked it so much that it wound up as a finalist for a 2013 Best of CES award. The review, with the headline “Dish Hopper with Sling: HD DVR almost has it all,” is still up but the device was yanked from the awards lineup. The review and the awards page have this statement now at the bottom:

The Dish Hopper with Sling was removed from consideration for the Best of CES 2013 awards due to active litigation involving our parent company CBS Corp. We will no longer be reviewing products manufactured by companies with which we are in litigation with respect to such product.

That’s the same statement I got from CNET PR when I asked about the decision. The statement stresses reviews, separating that aspect of CNET from news coverage. There’s no editor’s note on the Dish press conference post from CES.

It’s a legalistic sleight of hand that doesn’t really work. Instead, CBS undermined CNET’s credibility and diminished one of the tech news site’s marquee events by trying to avoid a positive note for Dish that could show up in court.

Meanwhile, Dish gets to brag about the device and take a jab at CBS at the same time via a press release about the disappointment. Dish frames its argument for the Hopper and similar battles with programmers as Dish=consumer. This statement from the release is a shining example:

“We are saddened that CNET’s staff is being denied its editorial independence because of CBS’ heavy-handed tactics. This action has nothing to do with the merits of our new product. Hopper with Sling is all about consumer choice and control over the TV experience. That CBS, which owns CNET.com, would censor that message is insulting to consumers.

DISH is not afraid to stand up for consumer rights and we think that Hopper with Sling will do well, despite the network’s questionable actions.”

This isn’t just about Dish. It covers reviews of products from any company CBS is suing or is being sued by. For instance, this new CBS-mandated policy would block reviews of products from Barry Diller-backed Aereo, the over-the-air-to-broadband streaming video service CBS and other networks.

Bigger issue is @cnet saying at end will no longer review products by those who might litigate against CBS cnet.co/XTdFdM